Luminous knitting needle



F@h W. W. WELLIAMS 'LUMINOUS KNITTING NEEDLE Filed May 12, 1942 5 R mm mm VV M T w 4 W Patented Feb. 8, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,341,403 LUMINOUS KNITTING NEEDLE wait r'w. Williams, Cleveland, ohm Application May 12, 1942, Serial No. 442,721

10 Claims. (Cl. 250-71) My invention relates to needles such as knitting needles and the like, and more particularly to needles having luminosity in darkness or partial darkness.

The use of knitting needles is an almost universal occupation and the practice of knitting has increased considerably at present. Generally, it does not require much light to knit, as is required in reading, and for this reason knitting may be (1 e when other activities are not possible. It is, however, very much of a desideratum that the knitting needles be fully observable, not only at their tips but also throughout their length. It is also desirable that the full mass of the needle, that is. the full diameter of the needle, be observable to the operator.

By reason of the wish and need to knit in darkness, partial or complete, as during blackouts and during electric power-failures, the provision of a satisfactory knitting needle answering all of the requirements for efficient knitting is most desirable and has been long sought for by knitters.

It is an object of my invention to provide the answer to the need for such an efiicient and useful needle.

Another object is the provision of a needle that is luminous throughout substantially all of' its length.

Another object is the provision of a needle that is luminous throughout substantially all of its mass, that is, luminous across its entire diameter.

Another object is the provision of an entirely luminous needle visible to the knitter in darkness.

Another object is the provision for making needles visible without an-auxiliary light source.

Another object is the provision of needles facilitating and improving the art of knitting.

Another object is the provision of an efiicient and economicalconstruction of an improved knitting needle.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of my invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims. taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of my improved knitting needle;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken lengthwise of my needle shown in Figure 1, along the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken trans- Figure l;

Figure 4 is a. cross-sectional view taken transversely Of my needle through the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken transversely of my needle through the line 5-5 of Figure 1; and

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken transversely of my needle through the line 6-6 of Figure 1.

My needle is of the usual shape and dimension of knitting needles and the like. As most knitting needles are of the type which have a head or button on one end, this type has been used in the drawing for purposes of illustration. It is also to be understood that my invention is also adapted for, and includes, knitting needles without such a head and being pointed at both opposite ends, such as needles used for knitting socks.

In the knitting needle illustrated in the drawing, the reference character I l indicates the body of the needle, l2 indicates the enlarged head or button, and I3 indicates the pointed portion or point.

My improved needle is of one integral piece and is homogeneous throughout. It is composed of a plastic of the class which permits light to be transmitted therethrough. Preferably, the plastic is clear or transparent so that light may readily pass through it but it may also be, with good results, of a modified nature, that is, one which transmits and diifiuses light. As used in the specification and claims, however, the term translucent is to be understood in the broad sense as including the terms transparent and "translucent in their narrow sense, and includes light-transmitting material as distinguished from opaque material.

Among the translucent plastics suitable for incorporation in my improved needle are those known and obtainable on the market under the following trade names: Tenite made by the Tennessee Eastman Company of Kingsport, Tennessee; Lucitemade by the Du Pont Chemical Company of Wilmington, Delaware; Lumarith" made by the Celanese Celluloid Corporation of New York city; and Ethocel" made by the Dow Chemical Company of Midland, Michigan.

Thoroughly mixed with, and difiused throughout the mass of, the plastic is a luminous or light emanating substance. The plastic and luminous material are so thoroughly interfused as to be p in the nature of a solid solution with each other. This is done by heating the plastic material and thoroughly mixing therewith finely divided or material and plastic are homogeneous. The entire mass thereby becomes a plastic having a luminous nature. It has been found that an ounce of luminous material to a pound or plastic material produces an effective luminous plastic.

Among the luminous or light emanating substances suitable for incorporation in my needle are those known and obtainable on the market under the following tradenamesz- Luminous Pigment made by the Technicraft Company of New York city; and "Conti-Glo" Lumiplast' powdered luminous material until the luminous emanating material in solid solution with each made by the Continental Lithograph Company of Cleveland, Ohio. The term luminous" material includes substances providing light emanation of different types, such as photo-luminous and autoluminous material.

VA preferred way of forming the thoroughly interfused plastic and luminous material, or the luminous plastic,"'is by extruding the heated plastic mass through extrusion dies into a rod and then cooling the same to solidify it. The rods may be cut into suitable lengths to form the body of the needle. The points [3 may be ground, cut or otherwise formed on the one end and the heads or buttons i2 formed on the other end to form an integral needle of luminous plastic.

As the luminosity extends throughout the mass of the plastic the entire needle is of a luminous nature. The complete diameter of the needle is luminous rather than merely a bored center thereof. For efiicient and facile knitting the needle thus provided is of a greatly improved character and particularly in surroundings of darkness or semi-darkness. The superior results will be readily apparent to those versed in the art and those having occasion touse the knitting needles "in an absence of sufilcient external light.

Although I have described my invention with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combinaother.

3. A knitting needle or the like of a translucent plastic in which is thoroughly difl'used finely divided light-emanating material capable of causing the said needle or the like to emanate light.

4. An improved knitting needle capable of emanating light, comprised of a rod of transparent plastic material containing powdered luminous material thoroughly mixed therewith and diffused throughout its mass.

5. A needle of light transmitting material in which is diffused light-emanating material to provide mass luminosity to the body of the needle.

6. A needle having an elongated body, said body being luminous throughout its mass.

'7. A needle formed of a rod of plastic material of a light transmitting character and a, finely divided material of a luminous character, said finely divided material being thoroughly interspersed in said plastic material to provide visual luminosity to said needle.

8. A needle formed of a rod of'a light trans- I mitting plastic in which is finely dispersed a photo-luminescent material.

9. A needle formed of a rod of light transmitting plastic in which is finely dispersed an autoluminescent material.

10. A clear-plastic needle of cylindrical shape containing light emanating substance diffused throughout to luminate th entire body of the needle.

' WALTER W. WILLIAMS. 

